Greater Andover Days

We spent almost all day on Saturday at Greater Andover Days, as Sissy was showcased in a few of the events. The first of which being the parade! We had an absolute blast at it despite being ridiculously cold and wind-blown. We were all slightly under-dressed for the wind but it was still an awesome time. We are already looking forward to next year.

Big Boy was soooo excited about the parade- although it's the first we'd ever gone to so I don't think he had any idea what was to come!



He scored a huge bag of candy! He loved the band and the cheerleaders.


Here is Sissy! She is VERY hard to see, as she and her friend Bo Bo were huddling down out of the wind most of the time but in this first pic she is standing in the green shirt.




After she finished Daddy and I left Big Boy with Grandma while we ran over to get her.


This is Great Grandma and Grandma with the kids.



After a quick trip home (where we all passed out for a couple hours) we headed back to the carnival for Sis' ballet performance! She did a great job, we were very proud.








And then, of course, we went over to the rides with my mom and grandma.


How do you know you are getting old? I took these first 2 pics before the Tilt-a-whirl started- if I would have taken them afterward my face would be green. I seriously am still dizzy 4 days later. Uggh.

We fished and both kids won!

Here are the little monkeys with their monkeys. Big Boy actually won the largest prize there was- he took forever to decide and finally decided on a flamingo. I asked the lady for the blue flamingo and he flipped out. Scratch that, lady can we get the hot pink flamingo for my son? (He glances over at Sissy's prize) Another fit. Scratch that again- lady can we get another little monkey? :)

A tale of two classes

Zoo trips with the preschool classes last week! Very different experience going with the 2s and 3s versus the Pre-K!

Purple shirts! (Go K-State)

Red shirts

"Kids let's stop and look at the flamingos!"

Big Boy's class:

Sissy's Class (Sis is on the right)


"Kids, let's take a group picture by the monkeys!"

Big Boy's class:

Sissy's class:


Which child does the tiger seem eager to eat?

Big Boy?

Sissy?


"Group picture! Everyone pick a spot!"

Big Boy's class- "get in front a penguin" (a clear direction for 2 year olds) and with teachers



Sissy's class- no direction or teachers needed!


The kids had a blast!

And a shout out to Daddy who celebrated his birthday last week! We are looking forward to a weekend getaway trip to KC next month to see a Chiefs game and celebrate more!

He said, she said

Big Boy shows little interest in anything having to do with sitting. He enjoys books but writing or drawing bores him easily. At KDO last year every paper he brought home would have, like, one mark on it. As teachers, this is the kind of kid you set rules in place for like 1)you have to make at least 4 B's on the line or 2)you have to use at least 3 colors in the picture. Because if you don't give them requirements they will do the very least before moving on to something else. Typical boy, seen 'em tons of times in my life.

So last night I was very surprised when Big Boy came in with a picture he had doodled.
"Look momma, a fwa-mingo!"


Having seen him draw very little in his life, I immediately clapped my hands and made the biggest deal ever over it. What talent. He caught on, of course, to my pleasure and proceeded to go in the other room and color until he came up with something good. He'd make a little mark that looked familiar and run into me "Momma, a 4! A 4! Take a picture!" Well, the batteries were dead in my camera but he wanted a picture of every one- so I held my camera up and faked it. He was so proud.

This morning, combing Sissy's hair for school:
"Mom, do you think our new baby is going to be a boy or a girl?"

me: "Who said we are having another baby? Have you told people we are having a baby?"

Sissy: "No, but T and I are getting old. We're old kids now. You and Daddy are old. We need somebody little again."

Rather than encourage this conversation, I let it go. Took her to school, picked her up. She was eating lunch and said to me:
"Mommy, you need to say you're sorry to me for telling me we aren't having another baby. That wasn't nice and you shouldn't have said it."

I let that go, too but what I really wanted to say was "Sis, when you want to stop fighting with your brother all day long, go back to 3 hour naps everyday, and get a part-time job then we can have another baby." :)

Poor thing. A little girl in her class just got a new baby brother this past week and Sissy has had babies all around her lately. At ballet two of my mommy friends have beautiful little babies they bring and I think Sissy is jealous that other kids have babies- and not just any babies- SISTERS! Hopefully she gets off my back for awhile and if she does happen to tell you we are having a baby- it is an adorable little lie that she has made up in her head!

Playing with fire

We had a big weekend! On Friday night I enjoyed (as always) a relaxing MNO. On Saturday morning Pat had a project to do- Sissy went to a friend's house for the day and I took Big Boy to his first actual football game! He really enjoyed it, so much so that we are heading to the Andover football game on Friday night to see our friend who is up for homecoming!

That night Pat's mom came over and they began the Great Summer Campout 2010. The kids had a blast, it was such a fun experience for them. They built the tent (in just slightly over 2 hours) and we began our dinner. (hot dogs, beans, and chips, of course)

Sissy got to bring home her class pet "Chocolate" this weekend so it was extra-special and required at least 100 pictures so we could make an appropriate collage for school.

Playing with fire a.k.a. roasting marshmallows

When I see this flaming hot fire I tense up inside- look how close my future little pyro is!





Each child consumed 1 marshmallow each. Each child roasted about 12 marshmallows each! ; )




I went out to tuck them in for bed. If you think I was going to sleep out there then you are crazy. Okay, I would if I had to. But I was perfectly content letting Pat and Gma take my place.







(Making animal shadows)




The kids did wonderful! They were all asleep by 9 and they slept all through the night until almost 8 the next morning.


This weekend also changed our financial situation- me having to rework my budget each week to work in my new obsession...Orange Leaf. We hit up the new yogurt place (which happens to be very close to my house) on our MNO Friday and I was hooked. Cut to Saturday- we were so hot after the football game we had to have it! It was a necessity. Well, Sissy was not with us that day so I thought it very unfair she had to miss out. So Sunday we hit it again. Did I mention frozen yogurt is one of my top 5 fave things? Love it. Looooove it.